Helium Health secured a $2.5 million Google.org grant to scale its HeliumMum AI tool and improve maternal healthcare in Nigeria.
Nigerian health technology company Helium Health has officially secured a $2.5 million grant from Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, to deploy artificial intelligence tools aimed at improving maternal healthcare across the country.
The landmark health technology update was publicly announced on November 4, 2026, during an executive briefing in Lagos attended by state government officials and global technology leaders.
Under this strategic health project, the grant funding will support the expansion of the company’s specialized digital tool, named HeliumMum, across four major states, including Lagos, Delta, Kano, and Oyo, with Lagos serving as the primary launchpad.
The selected company was chosen as the sole Nigerian organization among fifteen global recipients out of more than 2,600 applications for the $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge focused on government innovation.
Rather than buying shares or taking ownership in the business, Google is providing non-equity grant money alongside technical support from its own engineers and AI experts.
At the center of the initiative, the HeliumMum platform works alongside digital hospital record systems to help nurses and doctors identify pregnancy risk factors early, connect pregnant women to proper clinic care, and provide state governments with real-time health data.
The project aims to reach one point 9 million additional women over the next 3 years and contribute to a 30% reduction in maternal deaths across participating states.
Using artificial intelligence to detect pregnancy complications early and improve hospital care is very important for everyday families, mothers, health workers, and communities across Nigeria.
For many years, Nigeria has carried a very heavy burden, accounting for nearly three out of every ten maternal deaths globally due to late medical visits, poor hospital records, and difficulty spotting dangerous complications on time.
When health tech companies give nurses digital tools that quickly flag warning signs, pregnant women can receive urgent medical attention before complications become life-threatening.
Helping health workers make safer decisions keeps mothers alive, protects newborn babies, and brings peace of mind to millions of households.
Explaining how combining artificial intelligence with local medical knowledge can transform public health services and save lives during childbirth, corporate leaders shared important insights during the announcement.
Highlighting the core mission to protect pregnant women across local communities, official statements from Helium Health co-founder Dimeji Sofowora noted that “behind every maternal death is a woman whose family expected her to come home”.
Emphasizing that global technology partnerships empower local innovators to solve long-standing community problems, global philanthropic leadership detailed the vision behind the funding.
Pointing out how artificial intelligence can create real positive change when given to local problem solvers, Global Head of Google.org, Maggie Johnson, stated that “by equipping the 15 selected organisations with funding and pro bono support from Google’s own AI experts, we are empowering the people closest to the problem to show what is truly possible”.
Public health stakeholders are praising the maternal health initiative. As Helium Health rolls out the HeliumMum platform across hospitals in Lagos, Delta, Kano, and Oyo, families and health workers across the nation look forward to safer pregnancies and better maternal care.
